F094 How can we simplify regulation of digital health apps? (Liz Ashall Payne)

The global regulation of digital health apps is confusing, to say the least. ORCHA offers app providers a review that gives them oversight of their compliance with different jurisdictions.

There are well over 300.000 digital health apps on the market. However, only a third of them have been updated in the last 18 months, says Liz Ashall Payne - CEO and Founder of ORCHA - a UK based organization with a mission to distribute validated apps to patients who need them.

Liz Ashall Payne could be described as a digital health veteran. She started her career as a Speech and Language Therapist, worked as Assistant Director of Allied Health Professions (AHPs). She was Clinical Programme Manager of Academic Health Science Network for the North West Coast, International Outreach Coordinator for ECHAlliance, and more. After years of being in the digital health space, she founded ORCHA - the world’s leading health app evaluation and advisor organisation, that helps governments, health and social care organisations to choose and deliver health apps that will safely make the biggest impact in terms of improving outcomes.

How does app evaluation work?

ORCHA is most known for the company's review process of digital health apps and enabling healthcare providers to create digital health app libraries that can work as formularies fo doctors to prescribe apps to their patients.

“What we're trying to do is collate standards, regulations and best practice, apply them to products proportionately, support the innovator to meet the requirements. We then help end users, workers and healthcare systems to recognize and find which apps are good across all the domain areas. So we're managing risk across all the different areas rather than just one area,” says Liz Payne.

So far, over 6000 apps have been reviewed. ORCHA, which operates in 6 countries in Europe, New Zealand and Middle East, uses 300 data points in their review process. App innovators, however, cannot buy their way in the library. This approach is here to stay, says Liz Ashall Payne, because independence is a core aspect of ORCHAs offering.

One of the reasons apps are not updated and compliant with regulation is that maintenance and compliance with regulation is expensive. "If we don't make it easier for innovators to sustain solutions, we might lose the potential of digital health," warns Liz Ashal Payne.

Tune in for the full discussion:

Some questions addressed:

You studied Language and Speech Therapy and did a Master's in Leadership in Health and Social care. Among other things, you also worked as Assistant Director of Allied Health Professions (AHPs). I actually never heard about this profession before reading you CV, so can you tell us a bit about it? In short: what do AHPs do, how do they differ from other healthcare professionals, who can become one?
When did you get interested in technology and digital health more closely?
You held quite a few positions in that space before starting ORCHA - Associate and later Clinical Programme Manager of Academic Health Science Network for the North West Coast, International Outreach Coordinator for ECHAlliance, One HealthTech, the NHS Innovation Accelerator, etc. In your observation - how is the attitude towards apps and technology changing from the medical staff perspective?
ORCHA is an app assessment organization that provides a library of reliable apps. How is your role changing today, when regulatory processes are clearer than they were in 2015 of 2017, 2018?
Up until now, ORCHA has reviewed 6000 apps. What is the specific of the review process and how is it evolving based on general digital health development?
Do you know how many/are any apps qualified as digital therapeutics? Do you differentiate between them and other apps?
How do you facilitate collaboration with hospitals and how do you onboard physicians? Who do you talk to - managers? Directly with doctors?
How does membership work? If a hospital wished to use the system?
ORCHA is present in six European countries, the Middle East and New Zealand. Can you talk a bit about the differences in the markets you are noticing in terms of readiness for adoption, the willingness of consumers/patients to pay for solutions? For example, is the German national progressiveness and ambition for digital health adoption, seen in the last two years, affecting you in any way?
When browsing through apps in the ORCHA library, there's also the country of origin of an app filter. Why is it important for the user to know where the developer is from? Are you noticing any trends in that regard? Biases…?
Who would you say are your main competitors and how do you differ?